Controlling operation of a media device based upon whether a presentation device is currently being worn by a user

ABSTRACT

A mechanism is provided for automatically controlling the operation of a media device based at least in part upon whether a portable presentation device coupled to the media device is currently being worn by a user. A portable presentation device may be any device that is meant to be worn by a user and that is capable of presenting media content to the user (e.g. earphones, headphones, goggles or faceplates with video/audio capability, etc.). With this mechanism, a user can affect the operation of the media device by simply putting on or taking off the portable presentation device. The user does not need to manually manipulate the controls of the media device. By automatically controlling the operation of the media device in this manner, use of the media device and the portable presentation device as a unit is made much simpler and more convenient.

BACKGROUND

Most media devices, such as music players and video players, have aheadphone jack for allowing a set of earphones or headphones to be usedto deliver sound to a user. With the use of earphones or headphones, theuser is able to enjoy the audio portion of a set of media content inprivate, without disturbing the people around the user. The use ofearphones or headphones also allows quality sound to be delivered to theuser without the need for cumbersome external speakers.

Currently, to control whether audio content is provided by a mediadevice to a set of earphones or headphones, the controls on the mediadevice are used. That is, to start, stop, or alter the delivery of theaudio content to the earphones or headphones, a user usually has tomanually manipulate the controls that are on the media device. Someearphones and headphones now come with controls that a user can use tosend control signals to the media device. With these earphones orheadphones, the user can control the media device without physicallyaccessing the controls of the media device. In either of these cases,however, in order to control the delivery of the audio content to theearphones or headphones, the user has to manually manipulate at leastsome set of controls.

This can be inconvenient and bothersome in some instances. For example,suppose that a user is using a set of earphones that does not havecontrols for sending control signals to the media device, and that themedia device that is providing audio content to the earphones is in theuser's pocket. Suppose further that a colleague wishes to speak with theuser. Before beginning the conversation, the user has to fumble aroundin his/her pocket to find the media device, invoke the proper control onthe media device to pause or stop delivery of the audio content, andremove the earphones from his/her ears. All the while, the colleague iswaiting. After the conversation, the user has to reinsert the earphonesin his/her ears, invoke the proper control on the media device torestart the delivery of the audio content, and put the media device backin his/her pocket. This can be inconvenient enough for just oneinterruption, but if the user is interrupted frequently by colleagues,this process of finding the media device and invoking its controls canquickly become tedious and bothersome.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system, including a media device and aportable presentation device, in which one embodiment of the presentinvention may be implemented.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the MPM 112 ofFIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the MPM 112 ofFIG. 1 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) Overview

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a mechanismis provided for automatically controlling the operation of a mediadevice based, at least in part, upon whether a portable presentationdevice coupled to the media device is currently being worn by a user.With this mechanism, a user can affect the operation of the media deviceby simply putting on or taking off the portable presentation device. Theuser does not need to manually manipulate the controls of the mediadevice. By automatically controlling the operation of the media devicein this manner, use of the media device and the portable presentationdevice as a unit is made much simpler and more convenient.

For purposes of the present invention, a portable presentation devicemay be any device that is meant to be worn by a user and that is capableof presenting media content (e.g. audio, video, etc.) to the user.Examples of a portable presentation device include but are not limitedto earphones or earpieces, headphones, goggles or faceplates withdisplay and sound producing capability, etc. In one embodiment, aportable presentation device includes one or more sensors. These sensorsprovide sensor information that can be used to determine whether theportable presentation device is currently being worn by the user. Basedupon this determination, operation of the media device can be adjustedaccordingly.

In one embodiment, the operation of a media device may be controlled asfollows. Initially, the media device provides a set of media content tothe portable presentation device for presentation to a user. At the timethe media content is provided to the user, the portable presentationdevice is worn by the user in a manner that suggests that the userwishes to have media content presented to him/her (e.g. the user has aset of earphones in his/her ears). Thereafter, the media device receivesa set of sensor information from the portable presentation deviceindicating a current physical relationship between the user and theportable presentation device. Using this sensor information, the mediadevice determines whether the portable presentation device is stillbeing worn by the user in a manner that suggests that the user wishes tohave media content presented to him/her. Based at least in part uponthis determination, the media device determines its future operation.

For example, if the media device determines that the portablepresentation device is no longer being worn by the user in a manner thatsuggests that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, the media device may automatically halt provision of mediacontent to the portable presentation device. The media device may alsoput itself into a reduced power consumption mode (e.g. sleep mode). Themedia device may do this immediately or after provision of content hasbeen halted for a certain amount of time. Thereafter, if the mediadevice determines that the portable presentation device is once againbeing worn by the user in a manner that suggests that the user wishes tohave media content presented to him/her, the media device mayautomatically resume providing media content to the portablepresentation device. Thus, based upon whether the portable presentationdevice is currently being worn by the user in a manner that suggeststhat the user wishes to have media content presented to him/her, themedia device determines what the user would like it to do, and adjustsits behavior automatically. By doing so, the media device relieves theuser from having to manually invoke controls to control the operation ofthe media device. This in turn makes using the media device and theportable presentation device as a unit more convenient, pleasant, andpower efficient.

Sample System

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram of a samplesystem 100 in which one embodiment of the present invention may beimplemented. As shown, the system 100 includes a portable presentationdevice 102, and a media device 104 communicatively coupled to theportable presentation device 102. The devices may be coupled via aphysical coupling (e.g. one or more wires or cables), a wirelesscoupling (e.g. WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.), or some other coupling thatallows the devices to communicate with each other.

Portable Presentation Device

In one embodiment, the portable presentation device 102 may be anydevice that is meant to be worn by a user and that is capable ofpresenting media content to the user. As used herein, the term mediacontent refers broadly to any type of content that may be presented to auser including but not limited to audio content (e.g. music, speech,sounds, etc.), video content (e.g. graphics, stills, motion pictures,text, etc.), content from a communication (e.g. voice or speech contentfrom a telephone call, speech and video content from a video conference,etc.), or any other type of content. Examples of a portable presentationdevice 102 include but are not limited to: a single or a pair ofearphones that are meant to be inserted into a user's ear(s); aheadphone or a set of headphones that are meant to go over and cover oneor both of the user's ears; and an earpiece that is meant to be insertedinto a user's ear. A portable presentation device 102 may also be a setof goggles that fit over the user's eyes with display and perhaps soundproducing capability, a faceplate that covers the front of the user'sface with display and perhaps sound producing capability, or any otherheadwear that has display and perhaps sound producing capability. Theseand other devices may be used as the portable presentation device 102.The portable presentation device 102 may be a wired device or a wireless(e.g. WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) device.

The portable presentation device 102 includes a media contentpresentation mechanism 106. The presentation mechanism 106 is themechanism that presents the media content received from the media device102 to the user. For purposes of the present invention, the presentationmechanism 106 may include one or more of the following: one or morespeakers for rendering audio content; one or more displays for renderingvisual content; and any other device(s) capable of rendering any type ofmedia content to the user. The portable presentation device 102 may alsoinclude a microphone 107. As will be explained in a later section, theportable presentation device 102 and the media device 104 may be used asan overall communication device. With the microphone 107, the portablepresentation device 102 is able to capture audio content (e.g. voicesignals) from the user and provide it to the media device 104 to beforwarded to a party with which the user is communicating.

The portable presentation device 102 also includes one or more sensor(s)108. These sensor(s) 108 sense the physical presence of a user, andprovide sensor information indicating a current physical relationshipbetween the portable presentation device 102 and a user. This sensorinformation can be used by the media device 104 to determine whether theportable presentation device 102 is currently being worn by the user ina manner that suggests that the user wishes to have media contentpresented to him/her. For purposes of the present invention, any typeand any number of sensors (e.g. one or more sensors) may be includedwith the portable presentation device 102. Examples of sensors that maybe used include but are not limited to a proximity sensor (e.g. aninfra-red sensor, a laser sensor, a SONAR sensor, or any other type ofsensor that can sense distance/proximity), a temperature sensor, and apressure sensor.

Sensor(s) 108 may be placed at various locations on the portablepresentation device 102. Where the sensors are placed will depend uponthe form that the portable presentation device 102 takes. For example,if the portable presentation device 102 takes the form of an earphone, aproximity sensor may be placed in a part of the earphone that faces theuser's ear when the earphone is inserted. That way, the proximity sensorwill be able to sense that the user is within close proximity. Atemperature sensor may be placed on an outer portion of the earphonethat contacts the user's skin when the earphone is inserted. That way,the temperature sensor will be able to sense the heat from the user'sbody. A pressure sensor may be placed at an exterior portion of theearphone that gets pressed against the inner part of the user's ear whenthe earphone is inserted. That way, the pressure sensor will be able tosense that the earphone has been pressed into the user's ear.

If the portable presentation device 102 is a headphone that goes overone or more of the user's ears, a proximity sensor may be placed in apart of the headphone that goes over and faces the user's ear when theheadphone is worn. A temperature sensor may be placed on a part of theheadphone that covers and contacts the user's ear when the headphone isworn. A pressure sensor may be placed at a portion of the earphone thatgets pressed against the user's ear when the headphone is worn.

As a further example, if the portable presentation device is a set ofaudio/visual goggles that are worn over the user's eyes with a strapthat goes around the user's head, a proximity sensor may be placed in apart of the goggles that faces the user when the goggles are worn. Atemperature sensor may be placed on a part of the strap that contactsthe user's skin when the goggles are worn. A pressure sensor may beplaced at a portion of the strap that gets pressed against the user'shead when the goggles are worn. The sensor(s) 108 may be positioned inthe manner described or in any other manner. All possible manners ofplacement of the sensors are within the scope of the present invention.

As noted above, a primary purpose of the sensor(s) 108 is to providesensor information that the media device 104 can use to determinewhether the user is currently wearing the portable presentation device102 in a manner that suggests that the user wishes to have media contentpresented to him/her. The more sensor information that is provided tothe media device 104, the more accurate this determination will be. Inone embodiment, to minimize false positives (i.e. concluding that a useris wearing the portable presentation device 102 when he/she is not),multiple sensors of different types may be included in the portablepresentation device 102. For example, the portable presentation device102 may include: (1) one or more proximity sensors, one or moretemperature sensors, and one or more pressure sensors; (2) one or moreproximity sensors and one or more temperature sensors; (3) one or moreproximity sensors and one or more pressure sensors; or (4) one or moretemperature sensors and one or more pressure sensors. Having informationfrom multiple types of sensors will enable the media device 102 to makemore accurate determinations.

In one embodiment, the determination that is made by the media device104 is not whether the portable presentation device 102 is being worn bythe user, but whether the portable presentation device 102 is being wornby the user in a manner that suggests that the user wishes to have mediacontent presented to him/her. It is possible for a user to wear theportable presentation device 102 but not in a manner that suggests thatthe user wishes to have media content presented to him/her. For example,a user could have a set of earphones around his/her neck. Technically,he/she is wearing the earphones, but he/she is not wearing the earphonesin a way that suggests that he/she wishes to have media contentpresented to him/her. The more sensor information, and the more types ofsensor information that is provided to the media device 104, the betterequipped the media device 104 will be to distinguish between a situationin which the user is just wearing the earphones (e.g. around his/herneck) and another in which the user is wearing the earphones in a mannerthat suggests that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her (e.g. the earphones are actually inserted in the user's ears).

In addition to the components described above, the portable presentationdevice 102 further includes one or more communication interface(s) 110.The communication interface(s) 110 are coupled to the presentationmechanism 106, the microphone 107, the sensor(s) 108, and the mediadevice 104, and allow information to be exchanged between the variouscomponents. For example, communication interface(s) 110 allow mediacontent to be received from the media device 104 and delivered to thepresentation mechanism 106. Communication interface(s) 110 also allowaudio signals from the microphone 107 and sensor information from thesensor(s) 108 to be delivered to the media device 104. For purposes ofthe present invention, the communication interface(s) 110 may includeany interfaces that facilitate communication and exchange of informationbetween the portable presentation device 102 and the media device 104.These interfaces may include, for example, a port for sendinginformation to and receiving information from an audio and/or video jackof the media device 104, and a wireless transmitter/receiver forexchanging wireless information with the media device 104. These andother interfaces may be included in the communication interface(s) 110.

For purposes of the present invention, the portable presentation device102 may send sensor information to the media device 104 using anotification protocol, a polling protocol, or some other protocol. Witha notification protocol, the portable presentation device 102 sendssensor information to the media device 104 only when there is a changein the state of one or more of the sensor(s) 108 (e.g. a proximitysensor changes from indicating that the user is nearby to indicatingthat the user is not nearby, or a temperature sensor indicates that itis no longer sensing the user's body heat, or a pressure sensorindicates that it is no longer being pressed against the user, etc.). Toimplement the notification protocol, some circuitry may be included inthe communication interface(s) 110 to determine when the state of one ormore of the sensor(s) 108 has changed, and to send sensor information tothe media device 104 when such a change is detected. With a pollingprotocol, the portable presentation device 102 periodically sends sensorinformation to the media device 104 regardless of whether the state ofany one of the sensor(s) 108 has changed. To implement the pollingprotocol, some circuitry may be included in the communicationinterface(s) 110 to receive periodic requests (e.g. pings) from themedia device 104 for sensor information, and to provide sensorinformation to the media device 104 in response to such requests. Forpurposes of the present invention, the communication interface(s) 110may include circuitry for implementing these and other informationexchange protocols between the portable presentation device 102 and themedia device 104.

In the embodiment described herein, it is assumed for the sake ofillustration that the information provided by the portable presentationdevice 102 to the media device 104 is sensor information, and that it isup to the media device 104 to use this sensor information to determinewhether the user is currently wearing the portable presentation device102. However, it should be noted that, if so desired, the portablepresentation device 102 may provide other types of information instead.For example, the communication interface(s) 110 of the portablepresentation device 102 may include circuitry for evaluating the sensorinformation from the sensor(s) 108, and determining based upon thesensor information whether the user is currently wearing the portablepresentation device 102. The communication interface(s) 110 may thenprovide status information (rather than sensor information) to the mediadevice 104 that indicates a determination as to whether the portablepresentation device 102: (1) is not being worn by the user; (2) is fullybeing worn by the user; or (3) is partially being worn by the user (e.g.the user may be wearing only one earphone of a pair of earphones). Ifthe portable presentation device 102 provides this type of statusinformation, the media device 104 will be relieved of having to processthe sensor information (note: the status information would stillindicate a current physical relationship between the user and theportable presentation device 102, and the media device 104 would stilluse this information to determine whether the user is currently wearingthe portable presentation device 102; the media device 104 would,however, be relieved of having to process the raw sensor information).Both embodiments have their advantages and disadvantages. Whichembodiment is chosen will depend upon the constraints of each particularimplementation. Both embodiments, and other potential embodiments, arewithin the scope of the present invention.

Media Device

The portable presentation device 102 is coupled to the media device 104.The media device 104 interacts with the portable presentation device 102to exchange media content, and to receive sensor information. Forpurposes of the present invention, the media device 104 may take theform of any device capable of interacting and communicating with theportable presentation device 102. In one embodiment, the media device104 comprises a media provision mechanism (MPM) 112, a set of userinterface(s) components 124, and a set of communication interface(s)126.

In one embodiment, the MPM 112 is the mechanism on the media device 104that provides/receives media content to/from the portable presentationdevice 102. The MPM 112 is also the mechanism that receives sensorinformation from the sensor(s) 108 of the portable presentation device102, and uses the sensor information to determine whether the portablepresentation device 102 is currently being worn by a user in a mannerthat suggests that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her. Based at least in part upon this determination, the MPM 112automatically determines how it, and hence, how the media device 104should behave (e.g. whether to provide media content to the portablepresentation device 102). This automatic behavior determiningfunctionality of the MPM 112 will be elaborated upon in a later section.

For purposes of the present invention, the functionality of the MPM 112may be realized using any desired technology. For example, the MPM 112may be implemented as a special purpose electronic device (e.g. a stereosystem, a media player, etc.) using analog and/or digital electroniccircuit elements that are arranged and configured to implement thefunctionality described herein. Alternatively, the MPM 112 may beimplemented using one or more devices (e.g. a programmable logic array)having an array of electronic circuit elements, including logicelements, that are programmed/configured to implement the functionalitydescribed herein. As a further alternative, the MPM 112 may beimplemented by way of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)having electronic circuit elements, including logic elements, that areconstructed/configured to implement the functionality described herein.As yet a further alternative, the functionality of the MPM 112 may berealized by having one or more processors execute one or more sets ofsoftware (e.g. executable instructions). These and other implementationsare possible, and all such implementations are within the scope of thepresent invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the MPM 112 in one embodiment is implemented by wayof one or more processors executing one or more sets of instructions. Asshown, the MPM 112 comprises one or more processor(s) 114 coupled to oneor more storage(s) 116 (also referred to herein as computer readablestorage media). Storage(s) 116 may be used to store executable programs,one or more sets of media content, permanent data, temporary data thatis generated during program execution, and any other information neededto carry out computer processing. Storage(s) 116 may include any and alltypes of storages that may be used to carry out computer processing. Forexample, storage(s) 116 may include main memory (e.g. random accessmemory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device), cache memory, read onlymemory (ROM), permanent storage (e.g. one or more magnetic disks oroptical disks, flash storage, etc.), as well as other types of storage.The various storages 116 may be volatile or non-volatile. Common formsof computer readable storage media include, for example, a floppy disk,a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium,a CD-ROM, DVD, or any other optical storage medium, punchcards,papertape, or any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, aPROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM or any other type of flash memory, anymemory chip or cartridge, and any other storage medium from which acomputer can read.

As shown in FIG. 1, storage(s) 116 store at least several sets ofexecutable instructions, including an operating system 118 and one ormore applications 120. The processor(s) 114 execute the operating system118 to provide a platform on which other sets of software may operate,and execute one or more of the applications 120 to provide additional,specific functionality. In one embodiment, the automatic behaviordetermining functionality of the MPM 112 is achieved by way ofcooperation between the operating system 118 and one or more of theapplications 120.

To elaborate, in one embodiment, it is the operating system 118 thatreceives sensor information from the sensor(s) 108 of the portablepresentation device 102. As noted previously, sensor information may beprovided by the portable presentation device 102 using a notificationprotocol, a polling protocol, or some other protocol. With thenotification protocol, the operating system 118 passively listens forsensor information. When sensor information is actually sent by theportable presentation device (e.g. in response to a change in the stateof one or more of the sensor(s) 108), the operating system 118 receivesthe sensor information and processes it. With the polling protocol, theoperating system 118 takes a more active approach. Specifically, theoperating system 118 periodically pings the portable presentation device102 for sensor information. When the requested sensor information isreceived from the portable presentation device 102, the operating system118 processes it. The operating system 118 may receive sensorinformation from the portable presentation device using other protocolsas well.

Upon receiving the sensor information, the operating system 118processes it, and provides its conclusions to the application 120. Forexample, the operating system 118 may receive sensor information from aproximity sensor, process the sensor information to determine whether auser is within close proximity to the portable presentation device 102,and provide its conclusion (e.g. in the form of an affirmative ornegative) to the application 120. Similarly, the operating system 118may receive sensor information from a temperature sensor, process thesensor information to determine whether the temperature indicates thatthe user is in contact with the temperature sensor, and provide itsconclusion to the application 120. Furthermore, the operating system 118may receive sensor information from a pressure sensor, process thesensor information to determine whether the pressure reading indicatesthat the portable presentation device 102 is pressed against the user,and provide its conclusion to the application 120. Based upon theseconclusions, the application 120 can determine whether the portablepresentation device 102 is currently being worn by the user in a mannerthat suggests that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her. Then, based at least in part upon this determination, theapplication 120 can determine how it should behave (e.g. whether toprovide media content to the portable presentation device 102). In thismanner, the operating system 118 and the application 120 cooperate toachieve the automatic behavior determining functionality of the MPM 112.

As an alternative to cooperation between the operating system 118 andthe application 120, the operating system 118 may perform all of theabove functions itself. As a further alternative, the application 120may perform all of the above functions itself. As yet a furtheralternative, the operating system 118 may cooperate with the application120 in a manner different than that described above. These and otherimplementations are possible, and all such implementations are withinthe scope of the present invention.

In addition to the MPM 112, the media device 104 also includes one ormore user interface component(s) 124, which are coupled to the MPM 112.The user interface component(s) 124 enable the MPM 112, and hence, themedia device 104, to receive input from and provide output to a user. Onthe input side, the user interface component(s) 124 may include, forexample, a keyboard/keypad having alphanumeric keys, a cursor controldevice (e.g. mouse, trackball, touchpad, etc.), a touch sensitivescreen, a set of physical controls (e.g. buttons, knobs, control wheels,dials, etc.), a microphone for receiving audio input, etc. On the outputside, the user interface component(s) 124 may include a graphicalinterface (e.g. a graphics card) and an audio interface (e.g. soundcard) for providing visual and audio content. The user interfacecomponent(s) 124 may further include a display, a set of speakers, etc.,for presenting audio and visual information to a user. In oneembodiment, the operating system 118 and the one or more applications120 executed by the processor(s) 114 may provide a software userinterface that takes advantage of and interacts with the user interfacecomponent(s) 124 to receive input from and provide output to a user.This software user interface may, for example, provide a menu that theuser can navigate, or buttons that the user can invoke, using one of theuser input devices mentioned above.

In addition to the components set forth above, the media device 104further includes one or more communication interface(s) 126, which arecoupled to the MPM 112. These interface(s) 126 enable the MPM 112, andhence, the media device 104, to communicate with the portablepresentation device 102 and with other components/devices. Thecommunication interface(s) 126 may include, for example, one or morevideo and/or audio jacks for physically coupling with the portablepresentation device 102, a wireless transmitter/receiver (e.g. Wifi,Bluetooth, etc.) for wirelessly communicating with the portablepresentation device 102 and other devices, a network interface (wired orwireless) for enabling the media device 104 to send messages to andreceive messages from a network, a 3G interface for enabling the mediadevice 104 to access the Internet without using a local network, atelephone network interface for enabling the media device 104 to makeand receive telephone calls, etc. These and other interfaces may beincluded in the communication interface(s) 126.

Sample Operation

With the above system description in mind, and with reference to FIGS.1-3, operation of the system 100 in accordance with several embodimentsof the presentation invention will now be described. In the followingdiscussion, two sample implementations will be described: one in whichthe MPM 112 operates as a media content provider; and another in whichthe MPM 112 operates as a communication device. Because operation of thesystem is slightly different in these two implementations, they will bedescribed separately. In the follow discussion, it will be assumed forthe sake of illustration that the portable presentation device 102provides sensor information to the media device 104 using a notificationprotocol.

Media Content Provider Implementation

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the MPM 112 may be caused to behaveas a media content provider by having the processor(s) 114 execute theoperating system 118 and at least one of the applications 120. Theapplication 120 may, for example, be: a media player application thatretrieves media content from the storage(s) 116 and streams it to theportable presentation device 102; a gaming application that generatesgraphics and sounds; a media streaming application that receivesstreamed media content from a source (e.g. the Internet, cable,satellite, etc.) and streams it to the portable presentation device 102;or some other type of application. If the MPM 112 is not implemented inthe manner shown in FIG. 1, then the MPM 112 may be customconstructed/configured to act as a media content provider.

In one embodiment, prior to regular operation, the MPM 112 interactswith a user to allow the user to specify how he/she would like the MPM112 to behave under certain conditions. For example, the user canspecify how the MPM 112 should behave when the portable presentationdevice 102: (1) is not worn by the user; (2) is fully worn by the user;or (3) is partially worn by the user (the portable presentation device102 may be partially worn, for example, if the portable presentationdevice 102 is a pair of earphones and the user has only one of theearphones inserted in his/her ear). In the following description, asample set of behaviors will be described for illustrative purposes. Ifso desired, the user may change the behaviors to suit his/her liking.

With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a flow diagram illustrating theoperation of the MPM 112 as a media content provider, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. Initially, the MPM 112 receives(block 202) input from the user instructing the MPM 112 to startlistening for sensor information from the portable presentation device102. This input may, for example, take the form of the user changing asetting in the operating system 118 or an application 120 to beginlistening for sensor information, initiating the execution of anapplication 120, or activating a “start” control on a user interface. Inresponse to this user input, the MPM 112 in one embodiment optionallypings the portable presentation device 102 to request an initial set ofsensor information. The MPM 112 then enters into listen/receive mode(block 204), in which it waits for sensor information from the portablepresentation device 102.

When a set of sensor information is provided by the portablepresentation device 102 (either in response to the optional ping or inresponse to a change in the state of one of the sensor(s) 108), thesensor information is received by the MPM 112. This set of sensorinformation may include, for example, proximity sensor information,temperature sensor information, and pressure sensor information, or asubset thereof (depending on what sensors are included with the portablepresentation device 102). Multiple sets of sensor information may bereceived (for example, if the portable presentation device is a pair ofearphones, a separate set of sensor information may be received for eachearphone).

Based at least in part upon the sensor information, which indicates acurrent physical relationship between the user and the portablepresentation device 102, the MPM 112 determines (block 206) whether theportable presentation device 102 is currently being worn by the user ina manner that suggests that the user wishes to have media contentprovided to him/her. The MPM 112 makes this determination, for example,by checking the proximity sensor information to determine whether theuser is within close proximity to the portable presentation device 102,checking the temperature sensor information to determine whether it iswithin a certain temperature range, and checking the pressure sensorinformation to determine whether the pressure indication is above acertain threshold. If there are several sets of sensor information (e.g.one set of sensor information for each earphone of a pair of earphones),the MPM 112 will perform these checks for each set of sensorinformation.

In one embodiment, if all of the sensor information in a set of sensorinformation indicates an affirmative, the MPM 112 will conclude that theportion of the portable presentation device 102 (e.g. a particularearphone) associated with that set of sensor information is currentlybeing worn by the user. As an alternative, if most but not all of thesensor information in a set of sensor information indicates anaffirmative, the MPM 112 may still conclude that the portion of theportable presentation device 102 associated with that set of sensorinformation is currently being worn by the user. By checking each set ofsensor information, the MPM 112 is able to determine whether theportable presentation device 102: (1) is currently not being worn by theuser; (2) is currently being fully worn by the user; or (3) is currentlyonly partially being worn by the user (e.g. only one earphone of a pairof earphones is currently being worn).

In one embodiment, if the MPM 112 determines at block 206 that theportable presentation device 102 is currently not being worn by theuser, the MPM 112 loops back to block 204 to remain in listen/receivemode to listen for another set of sensor information. In the currentexample, the portable presentation device 102 provides sensorinformation to the media device 104 using a notification protocol; thus,the portable presentation device 102 will provide a set of sensorinformation to the MPM 112 the next time it detects a change in thestate of one or more of the sensor(s) 108. In the meantime, the MPM 112waits. When it does eventually receive the next set of sensorinformation from the portable presentation device 102, the MPM 112 willagain use the sensor information to determine whether the user iswearing the portable presentation device 102 in a manner that suggeststhat the user wishes to have media content presented to him/her.

If, at any point, the MPM 112 determines at block 206 that the portablepresentation device 102 is currently being fully worn or at leastpartially being worn by the user, the MPM 112 automatically commences(block 208) providing media content to the portable presentation device102. This media content may be, for example, media content retrievedfrom the storage(s) 116, media content generated by a game or otherprogram, or media content streamed from a source. Thus, in thisembodiment, the MPM 112 detects when the user is at least partiallywearing the portable presentation device 102, and automatically beginsproviding media content to the portable presentation device 102 at thatpoint. With such an embodiment, the user can cause the media device 104to start providing media content just by putting the portablepresentation device 102 on (the user does not have to invoke anycontrols of the media device 104).

Thereafter, the MPM 112 again enters into listen/receive mode (block210) to wait for another set of sensor information from the portablepresentation device 102, which will be sent by the portable presentationdevice 102 the next time it detects a change in the state of one or moreof the sensor(s) 108. Until the next set of sensor information isreceived, the MPM 112 in one embodiment continues to provide mediacontent to the portable presentation device 102. When a next set ofsensor information is actually received, the MPM 112 uses the sensorinformation to determine (block 212) whether the user is currentlywearing the portable presentation device 102 in a manner that suggeststhat the user wishes to have media content provided to him/her. Thisdetermination may be made in the manner described above, and can arriveat one of three possible conclusions: (1) the portable presentationdevice 102 is no longer being worn by the user; (2) the portablepresentation device 102 is still being fully worn by the user; or (3)the portable presentation device 102 is only partially being worn by theuser.

In one embodiment, if the MPM 112 determines that the portablepresentation device 102 is no longer being worn by the user, it proceedsto block 214. What the MPM 112 does at block 214 depends upon thecurrent state of the MPM 112. Specifically, if the MPM 112 is currentlyproviding media content to the portable presentation device 102, thenthe MPM 112 automatically halts the provision of media content to theportable presentation device 102. In doing so, the MPM 112 may pause orstop the media content at a certain point of the media content. Thishalting process may involve halting the execution of an application 120.For example, if the application is a game, halting the provision ofmedia content to the portable presentation device 102 may includehalting or pausing the execution of the game. As part of the haltingprocess, the MPM 112 may put the media device 104 into a reduced powerconsumption mode (e.g. sleep mode). The MPM 112 may do this immediately,or after provision of media content has been halted for a certain periodof time. If the MPM 112 had previously halted provision of media contentto the portable presentation device 102, then the provision of mediacontent remains halted. After performing block 214, the MPM 112 loopsback to block 210 to once again enter listen/receive mode to wait forthe next set of sensor information from the portable presentation device102; thus, the MPM 112 continues to monitor the physical relationshipbetween the user and the portable presentation device 102.

Returning to block 212, if the MPM 112 determines that the portablepresentation device 102 is currently being partially worn by the user,then the MPM 112 proceeds to block 218. What the MPM 112 does at block218 depends upon the current state of the MPM 112. Specifically, if theMPM 112 is currently providing media content to the portablepresentation device 102, then the MPM 112 in one embodiment willcontinue to provide media content to the portable presentation device102, but at a reduced volume. If the media content was already beingprovided at a reduced volume, then the media content remains beingprovided at the reduced volume. On the other hand, if the MPM 112 hadpreviously halted provision of media content to the portablepresentation device 102, then the MPM 112 resumes providing mediacontent to the portable presentation device 102, but at a reducedvolume. Provision of the media content may be resumed at the point ofthe media content at which it was previously paused or stopped. Thisresumption process may involve resuming execution of an application 120.For example, if the media content is generated by a game, resuming theprovision of media content to the portable presentation device 102 mayinclude resuming the execution of the game. The resumption process mayalso involve putting the media device 104 back into a regular powerconsumption mode. After performing block 218, the MPM 112 loops back toblock 210 to once again enter listen/receive mode to wait for the nextset of sensor information from the portable presentation device 102;thus, the MPM 112 continues to monitor the physical relationship betweenthe user and the portable presentation device 102.

Returning again to block 212, if the MPM 112 determines that theportable presentation device 102 is currently being fully worn by theuser, then the MPM 112 proceeds to block 216. What the MPM 112 does atblock 216 depends upon the current state of the MPM 112. Specifically,if the MPM 112 is currently providing media content to the portablepresentation device 102 at regular volume, then it continues to providemedia content at regular volume. If the MPM 112 is currently providingmedia content to the portable presentation device 102 at a reducedvolume, then it begins providing the media content at regular volume. Onthe other hand, if the MPM 112 had previously halted provision of mediacontent to the portable presentation device 102, then the MPM 112resumes providing media content to the portable presentation device 102,at regular volume. Provision of the media content may be resumed at thepoint of the media content at which it was previously paused or stopped.This resumption process may involve resuming execution of an application120. For example, if the media content is generated by a game, resumingthe provision of media content to the portable presentation device 102may include resuming the execution of the game. The resumption processmay also involve putting the media device 104 back into a regular powerconsumption mode. After performing block 216, the MPM 112 loops back toblock 210 to once again enter listen/receive mode to wait for the nextset of sensor information from the portable presentation device 102;thus, the MPM 112 continues to monitor the physical relationship betweenthe user and the portable presentation device 102.

In the above example, when the MPM 112 determines that the portablepresentation device 102 is partially being worn by the user, it providesmedia content to the portable presentation device 102 at a reducedvolume. As an alternative, the MPM 112 may treat partial wearing of theportable presentation device 102 as a non-wearing of the portablepresentation device 102, and cause provision of the media content to behalted. As another alternative, the MPM 112 may treat partial wearing ofthe portable presentation device 102 as a full wearing of the portablepresentation device 102, and cause provision of the media content to becontinued at regular volume. These and other variations are within thescope of the present invention.

In the manner described, the MPM 112 determines whether a user iscurrently wearing the portable presentation device 102 in a manner thatsuggests that the user wishes to have media content provided to him/her,and adjusts its behavior automatically. By doing so, the MPM 112 makesusing the media device 104 and the portable presentation device 102 as aunit more convenient, pleasant, and power efficient.

Communication Device Implementation

In addition or as an alternative to a media content provider, the MPM112 may behave as a communication device. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the MPM 112 may be caused to behave as a communication device byhaving the processor(s) 114 execute at least one of the applications120. The application 120 may, for example, be: a telephone applicationfor enabling voice communication over a telephone network; a videoconferencing application for enabling video and voice communication overa data or telephone network; or some other type of application. If theMPM 112 is not implemented in the manner shown in FIG. 1, then the MPM112 may be custom constructed/configured to act as a communicationdevice.

In one embodiment, prior to regular operation, the MPM 112 interactswith a user to allow the user to specify how he/she would like the MPM112 to behave under certain conditions. For example, the user canspecify how the MPM 112 should behave when the portable presentationdevice 102: (1) is not worn by the user; (2) is fully worn by the user;or (3) is partially worn by the user. In the following description, asample set of behaviors will be described for illustrative purposes. Ifso desired, the user may change the behaviors to suit his/her liking.

With reference to FIG. 3, there is shown a flow diagram illustrating theoperation of the MPM 112 as a communication device, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. Initially, the MPM 112 receives(block 302) notification of an incoming communication. The incomingcommunication may be, for example, a telephone call, an incoming videoconferencing communication, or some other type of communication. Thenotification may be a ring, a beep, a visual message, or some other typeof notification. In response to the notification, the user mayoptionally invoke a control of the MPM 112 to instruct the MPM 112 toanswer the incoming communication. If the user does so, the MPM 112receives (block 304) this user input. In one embodiment, the MPM 112does not immediately answer the incoming communication, even if input isreceived from the user instructing the MPM 112 to answer the incomingcommunication. Rather, the MPM 112 in one embodiment optionally pingsthe portable presentation device 102 to request a current set of sensorinformation, and enters into listen/receive mode (block 306) to wait forthe sensor information from the portable presentation device 102.

When a set of sensor information is provided by the portablepresentation device 102 (either in response to the optional ping or inresponse to a change in the state of one of the sensor(s) 108), thesensor information is received by the MPM 112. This sensor informationmay include, for example, proximity sensor information, temperaturesensor information, and pressure sensor information, or a subset thereof(depending on what sensors are included with the portable presentationdevice 102). Multiple sets of sensor information may be received (forexample, if the portable presentation device is a pair of earphones, aseparate set of sensor information may be received for each earphone).

Based at least in part upon the sensor information, which provides anindication of a current physical relationship between the user and theportable presentation device 102, the MPM 112 determines (block 308)whether the portable presentation device 102 is currently being worn bythe user in a manner that suggests that the user wishes to have mediacontent presented to him/her. The MPM 112 makes this determination, forexample, by evaluating the sensor information in the manner describedpreviously. By evaluating the sensor information, the MPM 112 is able todetermine whether the portable presentation device 102: (1) is currentlynot being worn by the user; (2) is currently being fully worn by theuser; or (3) is currently only partially being worn by the user.

In one embodiment, if the MPM 112 determines that the portablepresentation device 102 is not currently being worn by the user, the MPM112 does not answer the incoming communication. This is despite the factthat the user may have instructed the MPM 112 to answer the incomingcommunication. Instead, the MPM 112 loops back to block 306 to remain inlisten/receive mode to listen for another set of sensor information. Inthe current example, the portable presentation device 102 providessensor information to the media device 104 using a notificationprotocol; thus, the portable presentation device 102 will provide a setof sensor information to the MPM 112 the next time it detects a changein the state of one or more of the sensor(s) 108. In the meantime, theMPM 112 waits. When it does eventually receive the next set of sensorinformation from the portable presentation device 102, the MPM 112 willagain use the sensor information to determine whether the user iswearing the portable presentation device 102 in a manner that suggeststhat the user wishes to have media content presented to him/her.

If, at any point, the MPM 112 determines at block 308 that the portablepresentation device 102 is currently being fully worn or at leastpartially being worn by the user, the MPM 112 automatically answers(block 310) the incoming communication. Thus, with this embodiment, theMPM 112 does not answer an incoming communication unless and until theuser is at least partially wearing the portable presentation device 102.Also, with this embodiment, the user can answer an incomingcommunication just by putting the portable presentation device 102 on(the user does not have to invoke any controls of the media device 104).

After the incoming communication is answered, the MPM 112provides/receives (block 312) media content to/from the portablepresentation device 102. This media content may include, for example,voice, speech, video, or other content from the now ongoingcommunication that is received from a communicating party and providedto the portable presentation device 102. The media content may alsoinclude speech or other content that is received from the user and theportable presentation device 102 (via the microphone 107) and providedto the communicating party.

Thereafter, the MPM 112 again enters into listen/receive mode (block314) to wait for another set of sensor information from the sensor(s) ofthe portable presentation device 102, which will be sent by the portablepresentation device 102 the next time it detects a change in the stateof one or more of the sensor(s) 108. Until the next set of sensorinformation is received, the MPM 112 in one embodiment continues toprovide/receive media content from the ongoing communication to/from theportable presentation device 102.

When a next set of sensor information is actually received, the MPM 112uses the sensor information to determine (block 316) whether the user iscurrently wearing the portable presentation device 102 in a manner thatsuggests that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her. This determination may be made in the manner described above,and can arrive at one of three possible conclusions: (1) the portablepresentation device 102 is no longer being worn by the user; (2) theportable presentation device 102 is still being fully worn by the user;or (3) the portable presentation device 102 is only partially being wornby the user.

In one embodiment, if the MPM 112 determines that the portablepresentation device 102 is no longer being worn by the user, it proceedsto block 318. What the MPM 112 does at block 318 depends upon thecurrent state of the MPM 112. Specifically, if MPM 112 is currentlyproviding/receiving media content from the ongoing communication to/fromthe portable presentation device 102, then the MPM 112 in one embodimentautomatically puts the ongoing communication on hold. If the MPM 112 hadpreviously put the ongoing communication on hold, then the MPM 112 keepsthe ongoing communication on hold. If the MPM 112 had previously mutedthe ongoing communication (so that the user can hear the communicatingparty but not vice versa), then the MPM 112 puts the ongoingcommunication on hold. After performing block 318, the MPM 112 loopsback to block 314 to once again enter listen/receive mode to wait forthe next set of sensor information from the portable presentation device102; thus, the MPM 112 continues to monitor the physical relationshipbetween the user and the portable presentation device 102.

Returning to block 316, if the MPM 112 determines that the portablepresentation device 102 is currently being partially worn by the user,then the MPM 112 proceeds to block 320. What the MPM 112 does at block320 depends upon the current state of the MPM 112. Specifically, if MPM112 is currently providing/receiving media content from the ongoingcommunication to/from the portable presentation device 102, then the MPM112 mutes the ongoing conversation so that the user can hear thecommunicating party but not vice versa. If the ongoing conversation hadpreviously been muted, then the MPM 112 keeps the ongoing communicationmuted. On the other hand, if the MPM 112 had previously put the ongoingconversation on hold, then the MPM 112 takes the ongoing conversationoff of hold, and mutes it. After performing block 320, the MPM 112 loopsback to block 314 to once again enter listen/receive mode to wait forthe next set of sensor information from the portable presentation device102; thus, the MPM 112 continues to monitor the physical relationshipbetween the user and the portable presentation device 102.

Returning again to block 316, if the MPM 112 determines that theportable presentation device 102 is currently being fully worn by theuser, then the MPM 112 proceeds to block 322. What the MPM 112 does atblock 216 depends upon the current state of the MPM 112. Specifically,if MPM 112 is currently providing/receiving media content from theongoing communication to/from the portable presentation device 102, thenit continues to do so. If the ongoing communication is currently muted,then the MPM 112 takes it off of mute and resumes providing/receivingmedia content from the ongoing communication to/from the portablepresentation device 102. On the other hand, if the MPM 112 hadpreviously put the ongoing communication on hold, then the MPM 112 takesthe ongoing communication off of hold, and resumes providing/receivingmedia content from the ongoing communication to/from the portablepresentation device 102. After performing block 322, the MPM 112 loopsback to block 314 to once again enter listen/receive mode to wait forthe next set of sensor information from the portable presentation device102; thus, the MPM 112 continues to monitor the physical relationshipbetween the user and the portable presentation device 102.

In the above example, when the MPM 112 determines that the portablepresentation device 102 is not being worn by the user, it puts theongoing communication on hold. As an alternative, the MPM 112 may mutethe ongoing communication instead. Also, in the above example, when theMPM 112 determines that the portable communication device 112 ispartially being worn by the user, the MPM 112 mutes the ongoingcommunication. As an alternative, the MPM 112 may put the ongoingcommunication on hold instead, or it may continue to provide/receivemedia content from the ongoing communication to/from the portablepresentation device 102 as if the portable presentation device 102 werestill being fully worn by the user. These and other variations arewithin the scope of the present invention.

In the manner described, the MPM 112 determines whether a user iscurrently wearing the portable presentation device 102 in a manner thatsuggests that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, and adjusts its behavior automatically. By doing so, the MPM112 makes using the media device 104 and the portable presentationdevice 102 as a unit more convenient and pleasant.

In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the present inventionhave been described with reference to numerous specific details that mayvary from implementation to implementation. Thus, the sole and exclusiveindicator of what is the invention, and is intended by the Applicants tobe the invention, is the set of claims that issue from this application,in the specific form in which such claims issue, including anysubsequent correction. Any definitions expressly set forth herein forterms contained in such claims shall govern the meaning of such terms asused in the claims. Hence, no limitation, element, property, feature,advantage or attribute that is not expressly recited in a claim shouldlimit the scope of such claim in any way. The specification and drawingsare, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than arestrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A non-transitory computer readable storage mediumhaving instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or moreprocessors of a media device, cause the media device to perform theoperations of: providing media content to a portable presentation deviceto be presented to a user, wherein the portable presentation device ismeant to be worn, and is currently being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her; receiving thereafter a first set of information from theportable presentation device indicating a current physical relationshipbetween the portable presentation device and the user; determining,based at least in part upon the first set of information, whether theportable presentation device is still being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, wherein determining whether the portable presentation device isstill being worn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishesto have media content presented to him/her comprises determining whetherthe portable presentation device is on the user's ears and determiningwhether the portable presentation device is on another part of theuser's body; and automatically determining further operation of themedia device based at least in part upon whether the portablepresentation device is still being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her.
 2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim1, wherein automatically determining further operation of the mediadevice comprises: in response to a determination that the portablepresentation device is no longer being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, automatically halting provision of media content to theportable presentation device.
 3. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium of claim 2, wherein automatically determining furtheroperation of the media device further comprises: in response to adetermination that the portable presentation device is no longer beingworn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to havemedia content presented to him/her, automatically putting the mediadevice into a reduced power consumption mode.
 4. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the instructionscause the media device to further perform the operations of: afterprovision of media content to the portable presentation device has beenhalted, receiving a second set of information from the portablepresentation device indicating a current physical relationship betweenthe portable presentation device and the user; determining, based atleast in part upon the second set of information, that the portablepresentation device is again being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her; and in response to a determination that the portablepresentation device is again being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, automatically resuming provision of media content to theportable presentation device.
 5. The non-transitory computer readablestorage medium of claim 4, wherein provision of media content is haltedat a particular point in the media content, and wherein provision ofmedia content is resumed at that particular point in the media content.6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 4,wherein the media content is generated by an executing program, whereinautomatically halting provision of media content to the portablepresentation device comprises: pausing execution of the program; andwherein automatically resuming provision of media content to theportable presentation device comprises: resuming execution of theprogram.
 7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim1, wherein providing media content to a portable presentation device tobe presented to a user comprises: receiving input from the userinstructing the media device to begin listening for information from theportable presentation device; receiving thereafter an initial set ofinformation from the portable presentation device indicating a currentphysical relationship between the portable presentation device and theuser; determining, based at least in part upon the initial set ofinformation, whether the portable presentation device is currently beingworn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to havemedia content presented to him/her; and in response to a determinationthat the portable presentation device is currently being worn by theuser in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have media contentpresented to him/her, automatically commencing provision of mediacontent to the portable presentation device.
 8. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the portablepresentation device comprises a plurality of earphones, and whereindetermining, based at least in part upon the first set of information,whether the portable presentation device is still being worn by the userin a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have media contentpresented to him/her comprises: determining, based at least in part uponthe first set of information, whether one, all, or none of the earphonesare currently inserted in the user's ears.
 9. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein automaticallydetermining further operation of the media device comprises: in responseto a determination that only one of the plurality of earphones iscurrently inserted in the user's ears: continuing to provide mediacontent to the portable presentation device but at a reduced volume; orautomatically halting provision of media content to the portablepresentation device.
 10. The non-transitory computer readable storagemedium of claim 1, wherein the media device is capable of being used toconduct communications, wherein the media content is content from anongoing communication between the user and another party, and whereinautomatically determining further operation of the media devicecomprises: in response to a determination that the portable presentationdevice is no longer being worn by the user in a manner suggesting thatthe user wishes to have media content presented to him/her,automatically putting the ongoing communication on hold, orautomatically muting the ongoing communication.
 11. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructionscause the media device to further perform the operations of: after theongoing communication is put on hold or muted, receiving a second set ofinformation from the portable presentation device indicating a currentphysical relationship between the portable presentation device and theuser; determining, based at least in part upon the second set ofinformation, that the portable presentation device is again being wornby the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have mediacontent presented to him/her; and in response to a determination thatthe portable presentation device is again being worn by the user in amanner suggesting that the user wishes to have media content presentedto him/her, automatically resuming the ongoing communication, orautomatically unmuting the ongoing communication.
 12. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media device iscapable of being used to conduct communications, and wherein providingmedia content to a portable presentation device to be presented to auser comprises: receiving notification of an incoming communication;receiving an initial set of information from the portable presentationdevice indicating a current physical relationship between the portablepresentation device and the user; determining, based at least in partupon the initial set of information, whether the portable presentationdevice is currently being worn by the user in a manner suggesting thatthe user wishes to have media content presented to him/her; in responseto a determination that the portable presentation device is currentlybeing worn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes tohave media content presented to him/her, automatically answering theincoming communication to give rise to an ongoing communication; andproviding media content from the ongoing communication to the portablepresentation device.
 13. The non-transitory computer readable storagemedium of claim 1, wherein the media device is capable of being used toconduct communications, wherein the media content is content from anongoing communication between the user and another party, wherein theportable presentation device comprises a plurality of earphones, andwherein determining, based at least in part upon the first set ofinformation, whether the portable presentation device is still beingworn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to havemedia content presented to him/her comprises: determining, based atleast in part upon the first set of information, whether one, all, ornone of the earphones are currently inserted in the user's ears.
 14. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, whereinautomatically determining further operation of the media devicecomprises: in response to a determination that only one of the pluralityof earphones is currently inserted in the user's ears: automaticallymuting the ongoing communication; or automatically putting the ongoingcommunication on hold.
 15. A media device comprising: a communicationinterface communicatively coupled to a portable presentation device forproviding media content thereto and receiving information therefrom,wherein the portable presentation device is meant to be worn by a user;and a media provision mechanism (MPM) coupled to the communicationinterface, the MPM comprising a plurality of electronic circuit elementsthat are arranged and configured to cause the MPM to perform theoperations of: providing, via the communication interface, media contentto the portable presentation device to be presented to a user, whereinthe portable presentation device is currently being worn by a user in amanner suggesting that the user wishes to have media content presentedto him/her; receiving thereafter, via the communication interface, afirst set of information from the portable presentation deviceindicating a current physical relationship between the portablepresentation device and the user; determining, based at least in partupon the first set of information, whether the portable presentationdevice is still being worn by the user in a manner suggesting that theuser wishes to have media content presented to him/her, whereindetermining whether the portable presentation device is still being wornby the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have mediacontent presented to him/her comprises determining whether the portablepresentation device is on the user's ears and determining whether theportable presentation device is on another part of the user's body; andautomatically determining further operation of the media device based atleast in part upon whether the portable presentation device is stillbeing worn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes tohave media content presented to him/her.
 16. The media device of claim15, wherein automatically determining further operation of the mediadevice comprises: in response to a determination that the portablepresentation device is no longer being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, automatically halting provision of media content to theportable presentation device.
 17. The media device of claim 16, whereinautomatically determining further operation of the media device furthercomprises: in response to a determination that the portable presentationdevice is no longer being worn by the user in a manner suggesting thatthe user wishes to have media content presented to him/her,automatically putting the media device into a reduced power consumptionmode.
 18. The media device of claim 16, wherein the electronic circuitelements are arranged and configured to cause the MPM to further performthe operations of: after provision of media content to the portablepresentation device has been halted, receiving, via the communicationinterface, a second set of information from the portable presentationdevice indicating a current physical relationship between the portablepresentation device and the user; determining, based at least in partupon the second set of information, that the portable presentationdevice is again being worn by the user in a manner suggesting that theuser wishes to have media content presented to him/her; and in responseto a determination that the portable presentation device is again beingworn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to havemedia content presented to him/her, automatically resuming provision ofmedia content to the portable presentation device.
 19. The media deviceof claim 15, wherein the media device further comprises a userinterface, and wherein providing media content to the portablepresentation device to be presented to a user comprises: receiving, viathe user interface, input from the user instructing the media device tobegin listening for information from the portable presentation device;receiving thereafter, via the communication interface, an initial set ofinformation from the portable presentation device indicating a currentphysical relationship between the portable presentation device and theuser; determining, based at least in part upon the initial set ofinformation, whether the portable presentation device is currently beingworn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to havemedia content presented to him/her; and in response to a determinationthat the portable presentation device is currently being worn by theuser in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have media contentpresented to him/her, automatically commencing provision of mediacontent to the portable presentation device.
 20. The media device ofclaim 15, wherein the communication interface is also communicativelycoupled to another party, wherein the MPM and the communicationinterface are capable of being used to conduct communication with theother party, wherein the media content is content from an ongoingcommunication between the user and the other party, and whereinautomatically determining further operation of the media devicecomprises: in response to a determination that the portable presentationdevice is no longer being worn by the user in a manner suggesting thatthe user wishes to have media content presented to him/her,automatically putting the ongoing communication on hold, orautomatically muting the ongoing communication.
 21. The media device ofclaim 20, wherein the electronic circuit elements are arranged andconfigured to cause the MPM to further perform the operations of: afterthe ongoing communication is put on hold or muted, receiving, via thecommunication interface, a second set of information from the portablepresentation device indicating a current physical relationship betweenthe portable presentation device and the user; determining, based atleast in part upon the second set of information, that the portablepresentation device is again being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her; and in response to a determination that the portablepresentation device is again being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, automatically resuming the ongoing communication, orautomatically unmuting the ongoing communication.
 22. The media deviceof claim 15, wherein the communication interface is also communicativelycoupled to another party, wherein the MPM and the communicationinterface are capable of being used to conduct communication with theother party, and wherein providing media content to the portablepresentation device to be presented to a user comprises: receiving, viathe communication interface, notification of an incoming communication;receiving, via the communication interface, an initial set ofinformation from the portable presentation device indicating a currentphysical relationship between the portable presentation device and theuser; determining, based at least in part upon the initial set ofinformation, whether the portable presentation device is currently beingworn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to havemedia content presented to him/her; in response to a determination thatthe portable presentation device is currently being worn by the user ina manner suggesting that the user wishes to have media content presentedto him/her, automatically answering the incoming communication to giverise to an ongoing communication; and providing, via the communicationinterface, media content from the ongoing communication to the portablepresentation device.
 23. A system, comprising: a portable presentationdevice that is meant to be worn by a user, the portable presentationdevice comprising a media content presentation mechanism for receivingand presenting media content to the user, one or more sensors forsensing a physical presence of the user, and an interface for providinginformation indicating a physical relationship between the portablepresentation device and the user; and a media device communicativelycoupled to the portable presentation device for providing media contentthereto and receiving information therefrom, wherein the media device isconfigured in hardware or programmed by software to perform theoperations of: providing media content to the portable presentationdevice to be presented to a user, wherein the portable presentationdevice is currently being worn by the user in a manner suggesting thatthe user wishes to have media content presented to him/her; receivingthereafter a first set of information from the portable presentationdevice indicating a current physical relationship between the portablepresentation device and the user; determining, based at least in partupon the first set of information, whether the portable presentationdevice is still being worn by the user in a manner suggesting that theuser wishes to have media content presented to him/her, whereindetermining whether the portable presentation device is still being wornby the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have mediacontent presented to him/her comprises determining whether the portablepresentation device is on the user's ears and determining whether theportable presentation device is on another part of the user's body; andautomatically determining further operation of the media device based atleast in part upon whether the portable presentation device is stillbeing worn by the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes tohave media content presented to him/her.
 24. The system of claim 23,wherein automatically determining further operation of the media devicecomprises: in response to a determination that the portable presentationdevice is no longer being worn by the user in a manner suggesting thatthe user wishes to have media content presented to him/her,automatically halting provision of media content to the portablepresentation device.
 25. The system of claim 24, wherein automaticallydetermining further operation of the media device further comprises: inresponse to a determination that the portable presentation device is nolonger being worn by the user in a manner suggesting that the userwishes to have media content presented to him/her, automatically puttingthe media device into a reduced power consumption mode.
 26. The systemof claim 24, wherein the media device is configured to further performthe operations of: after provision of media content to the portablepresentation device has been halted, receiving a second set ofinformation from the portable presentation device indicating a currentphysical relationship between the portable presentation device and theuser; determining, based at least in part upon the second set ofinformation, that the portable presentation device is again being wornby the user in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have mediacontent presented to him/her; and in response to a determination thatthe portable presentation device is again being worn by the user in amanner suggesting that the user wishes to have media content presentedto him/her, automatically resuming provision of media content to theportable presentation device.
 27. The system of claim 23, wherein themedia device is capable of being used to conduct communications, whereinthe media content is content from an ongoing communication between theuser and another party, and wherein automatically determining furtheroperation of the media device comprises: in response to a determinationthat the portable presentation device is no longer being worn by theuser in a manner suggesting that the user wishes to have media contentpresented to him/her, automatically putting the ongoing communication onhold, or automatically muting the ongoing communication.
 28. The systemof claim 27, wherein the media device is configured to further performthe operations of: after the ongoing communication is put on hold ormuted, receiving a second set of information from the portablepresentation device indicating a current physical relationship betweenthe portable presentation device and the user; determining, based atleast in part upon the second set of information, that the portablepresentation device is again being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her; and in response to a determination that the portablepresentation device is again being worn by the user in a mannersuggesting that the user wishes to have media content presented tohim/her, automatically resuming the ongoing communication, orautomatically unmuting the ongoing communication.